How to eat better for less, according to the Women's Institute

  • Video report by ITV Cymru Wales' Rural Correspondent Hannah Thomas

We're all seeing the price of our food going up, and the cost of a meal continuing to rise.

But the Women's Institute says we can do more to eat well on a budget, if we make the most of what we've got in our fridge.

Recent research shows that at the moment:

Liz Hepburn and Veronica Beynon are part of the Llandenny and District branch of the WI.

They have been using leftovers to make delicious and cheap meals to reduce food waste and limit spending.

Liz feels many can be intimidated by celebrity chefs, however well-meaning.

She said: "They see on television these wonderful cooks - and don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching that on the television.

Veronica Beynon helps run a food course at the WI, which helps educate people on nutrition and safety. Credit: ITV Wales

"However, it can be really off-putting if you've got no sort of background of cooking at all. And it's not an individual's fault that at all. It's just how things are. And people need to not worry about it and just have a go."

The group, which formed in 1939, is still running 83 years later and continues to be passionate about food in rural Wales.

In 1939, there was a huge surplus of fruit, and so the WI started making jam. They've also run courses for less confident cooks.

She said: "It enabled them to widen the choice of foods that they and their families could eat. And also it improved their health. Because we tried in our courses to always talk about nutrition, good eating habits, hygiene, safety."

Veronica hopes their recommendations will help improve people's knowledge and health - and perhaps make the pounds stretch further, too.